Doing Better
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Above All – A Father’s Story
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A Different Kind of Power Play
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Now and Forever
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One Last Team
Photo credit: Mike Bartusek.
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Generosity Overflows
Holy Trinity is a generous congregation and gives away 10% of its annual income. The Mission Outreach team determines how the congregational tithe is gifted. Highlighted in the “CYF Happenings” section of the November 18, 2022 HTLConnections, the 7th grade Group 3 Confirmation students earned $1000 from the Mission Outreach team in the annual “Confirmation Giving Challenge”. The team was impressed with the students’ commitment to hand-delivering the $1000 donation and volunteer at FMSC to pack meal kits.
Smack dab in the middle of winter break, the 7th grade Group 3 students invited their Confirmation friends to join them on Wednesday, Dec. 28. Confirmation mentor Jamie Sticha comments, “We extended an open invitation to our Confirmation friends and had a group of 16. What an awesome way to share God’s love from one generation to the next!”
Jamie’s commitment to Children, Youth & Family (CYF) Ministry spans over a decade. “Sarah Becher and I led the Sunday School program for a few years after the split, and I was a member of the CYF Committee. I led my middle son’s confirmation small group for three years, and now I’m leading my youngest son’s small group. It’s such an awesome experience to be part of a young person’s faith formation. It’s another way for me to be connected to my kids, too! I usually learn something every week!”
Ron Solheim stepped up this fall to be a confirmation mentor to his grandson’s group. He adds, “This was the team responsible for all of this happening. They took the initiative to compete for the donation money from Mission and Outreach but also felt the need for personal involvement on their part and to invite others from the congregation to join them. It is a very meaningful experience to go to Feed My Starving Children and pack meals that will feed others all over the world.”
Jamie was impressed with Ron’s dedication to the confirmation students. She recalls, “he actually drove to FMSC to let them know we were presenting their organization and to get additional information about their mission. They let him bring back a food pack & hair nets to add to our presentation. The students have great respect for him, and I absolutely LOVE partnering with Ron!”
With the help of dozens of other volunteers, 26,784 meals were packed during the almost two-hour shift. This effort will feed 73 children for a year. Holy Trinity’s contribution of $1000 was matched by FMSC “to produce meals to feed 8,333 children for one day,” Ron states.
Overall, the students enjoyed working together and trying different jobs. According to Jamie, the students shared that the experience ended up being more fun than they expected and they felt God working through them.
Thank you, Jamie Sticha, Ron Solheim, 7th grade Confirmation Group 3 (and friends), and HTLC Mission Outreach team for your generosity and for making a difference in the lives of others!
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Getting Ready With Scraps of Love
A quilt. Yes, even teenage boys appreciate quilts made with love.
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Compline
Who is that?
Just Be
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Community Gathering For All
It started in 2016 as the brainchild of then HTLC council member, Jeremy Torgerson, as a way to bring people together and show people what Holy Trinity is about. That first year was a huge learning curve for the organizers, who included Torgerson, Lona Rookaird, Darcey Schoenebeck, and HTLC Ministry Coordinator, Karen Taylor. The inaugural RibFest was located in the south parking lot, and included a dunk tank (where you could dunk your Pastor or favorite Council Member), a bouncy house, a variety of adult beverages, and background music from Tim Price.
In a move to gain more public exposure, 2018’s RibFest was re-positioned to the north side of Holy Trinity. It had morphed into a staff-led event with volunteer support, and the move to the front yard proved to be a smart one. With more visibility to the community, there was a good mix of HTLC members and non-members enjoying great music, a variety of beverages, delicious food and fun family activities.
Fresh off a year of Strategic Plan 2.0 visioning, Holy Trinity is set to have the biggest and best RibFest the community has ever seen. This year, Giesenbrau Bier Co. is providing their craft beer and root beer. It’s not only a great partnership, it also eliminates the process and cost of a temporary liquor license. Community music legend, Little Chicago, will be providing music with over fifteen musicians. Their covers of 60’s & 70’s hit music is sure to get people dancing in the grass.
Another thing that hasn’t changed since the beginning of RibFest is the fact that this is a FREE community event. There is no charge to attend. Some people stop by to listen to some music and have a beverage before making the choice to eat a meal. However, this year, food will only be served between 5 – 7 pm, so music lovers will have to make their decision early. Meal tickets are sold at the gated entrance of the front yard (near door 1 of the building). For volunteers, it’s the best gig all year!
Holy Trinity’s Executive Council Team was brainstorming about how to make RibFest “bigger and better”, and how to raise money for all of the new Strategic Plan 2.0 initiatives. Council President, Jackie Mackenthun, shares, “I’ve been to a lot of silent auctions and think they are a lot of fun. We have around 30 items so far and would love some more.” She says the biggest ticket item donated so far is from the Chanhassen Dinner Theater. Jackie hopes to see some donations for a family game night, day at the beach or a “gym rat” basket. “Holy Trinity has so many great teams and projects going on! The primary focus of the Silent Auction is to help raise money for the Strategic 2.0 initiatives, but so many other groups will indirectly benefit as a result of all of these ideas. Peace Garden, Racial Justice Team, Endowment Fund, and Youth Groups. So many great things to be excited for!”
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Brown Bags From Heaven
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The Little Free Pantry That Could
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Tying It All Together
Broken to Beautiful
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Learning to Step Up
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The Beat Goes On
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Welcome, Lauren!
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Share the Love
Years of Giving
The Gift that Keeps on Giving
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Fresh Look Welcomes All
Some people say this double rainbow was Dorothy Jasperson giving her sign of approval. Tell us what you think in the comments!
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More Than A Tree
Christmas Angels
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All are Welcome
Holy Trinity to Continue Annual Thanksgiving Meal
Unflappable Donna
Legacy of the Endowment Fund
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The Garden and the Town
The Idea of Community
Last summer, Rotary was awarded the full grant of $10,000 for a Peace Garden from SMIF. Along with Rotary’s $2500 donation, they have a sizable head start on raising money for the plants and lumber. The Peace Garden, named after the Peace Center, will be built and maintained by members of the community to help those in need have better access to healthier options.
“This is small-town living at its best,” says HTLC Pastor Ben Hilding, also in the Rotary Club. “The Rotary principle motto is ‘Service above Self.’”
Pastor Ben is also impressed with the different organizations getting involved. The Boy Scouts offered service hours to help. The City of New Prague gave advice, support, and feedback on the location. The Green Team at New Prague High School expressed interest in collaborating. And local businessman Nick Slavik agreed to help with the build and coordination of the project.
“In a sentence? I can’t wait!” says Rita Goggins, Volunteer Services Coordinator of the Peace Center. “I’m excited the community has come together to think of us. It’s so helpful when they are behind us.”
Goggins and the volunteers at the Peace Center, supported by the Mayo Clinic, strive to provide their clients with the healthiest food possible. “We want to provide year-round the best possible food,” she says. “Fresh fruits and vegetables are always a need and a want. This will make it easier to provide the best food possible. And I love the community piece, the relationships.”
God is in the Details
The Peace Garden will be planted in Spring 2022, in the southeast corner of the parking lot in front of the trees. (For those directionally-challenged like me, that’s to the right of the Prayer Garden.) The beds will be elevated to make it easier on volunteers, especially those at Praha Village. All food grown will go to providing the clients of the Peace Center with healthier options.
How Can I Help?
“If people are interested in participating on any level, the planning of the garden, the building, the planting, maintaining, harvesting… all of that we need help with,” says Dohm. “But I don’t want to solicit people’s assistance and make them feel it’s long-term. You can even help for an hour.” Email Dohm (admin@newpraguerotary.com) to offer your services, sign up for the Garden Committee, or to ask questions.
The price of lumber rose significantly last year so donations are also appreciated. “Donations will go towards making it more accessible for those at Praha Village, making it a more personal space.” says Goldade. The New Prague Rotary Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3), so all donations are tax deductible. Checks can be made to the New Prague Rotary Foundation and mailed to PO Box 92, New Prague, MN 56071. “We’re even working on getting Venmo!” says Dohm.
The End
“We are so grateful to HTLC for the gift of the land usage in order to initiate this project,” says Dohm. “Otherwise, it wouldn’t even have been a remote possibility.”
Goldade is now on the board of the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, but he does not participate in the grant committees. It is his job, along with many others, to make people aware of these available grants. He remains passionate about helping his neighbors, his community.
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